When I was ten years old already I was enthusiastic about wireless
transmissions. My first transmitter I build when I was 12 years old and the
circuit diagram was from a dictionary. I might tell you, that I got my
transmitting licence after a 60 letter per minute morse test
and technical knowledge test by the German authorities in Nov.
1957 and I am working in SSB since Dec. 1957. That time I was just a
jung man of 19 years. All equipment for transmitting we build that time by
our own and it was tested and modified every evening during radio contacts
with many international amateur radio stations with same interest to SSB.
We tested the quality and modified with a hot soldering iron every evening
up to the early morning, having a short sleep and starting the engineering
studies later in the day. Any way, it was exciting to be one of the pioneers
of Single Side Band operators in Europe. Only 12 years later all maritime
radio operations have been changed from AM ("Antic Modulation") to SSB
mode.Than all international communications ( Point to Point and telephone
contacts) where carried out in SSB mode. On the other side the development
of satellite communication was running up, but still now in 1997, SSB
shortwave communication is still important, but satellite communications
is more and more and even better covering all inter world connections. Any
how a radio connections via a simple small dipole antenna over my garden
too a nice radio friend in New York is much more exciting than a chat via
phone. Even an internet chat is not as life like via shortwave. Look out
for antennas in your neighborhood and try to contact your nearest Ham Operator,
this hobby is one of the best and you can play it at every age, even when
you are 90.